Dear WuBookers, knowing what goes through guests’ minds (in a broad sense) is probably the most common aspiration among hoteliers: offering truly satisfying stays to their customers means gaining their trust, which benefits the reputation of the property and its revenue. That’s why, for some time now, there has been talk of neuroscience applied to hospitality, or neurohospitality: let’s take a look at what it is and what practical benefits it could bring.

What is neurohospitality

Neurohospitality is the adoption of neuroscientific research in the hotel industry. Neuroscience is a branch of cognitive science that combines different disciplines and approaches (medicine, psychology, physiology, biology, physics, etc.) to study and understand neuronal activity. In other words, it analyzes the nervous system to understand how it works, how it reacts to external stimuli and how it determines people’s behavior.

One of the main tools is EEG (electroencephalography), a non-invasive test used to record and monitor the electrical impulses of our brain in response to inputs.

Marketing has long embraced this and other techniques, developing what is known as neuromarketing: a sales strategy based on consumers’ brain activity to predict and guide their choices.

Well, the same principle can also be used in the hotel industry (as well as in many other sectors) to decipher impressions, reactions, and preferences and improve one’s offering. Please note: this is not about manipulating guests, but about understanding what factors influence their experience – for better or worse – and building an increasingly personalized and appreciable service.

What factors influence guests’ perceptions?

A recent study published in the International Journal of Tourism and Hotel Management defines the five key factors that affect guests’ perceptions. Analyzing the responses collected from over 500 people through a structured questionnaire, the researchers identified the role of sensory, emotional, cognitive, technological, and cultural stimuli in shaping hospitality experiences.

The key factors identified are:

• Sensory and emotional immersion: this includes stimuli such as scents, aesthetics, empathy, and personalization (typical of sensory marketing) and suggests that guests are strongly influenced by a multisensory immersion combined with an emotional dimension.
• surprise and digital engagement: this factor combines unexpected gestures (such as welcome kits and other small impromptu attentions), ease of digital navigation, and intention to recommend. It indicates that both unexpected actions and seamless digital experiences encourage promotion and recommendation by guests;
• technological comfort: emphasizes the role of smart technology within the room in the perception of comfort. Automation, the ability to personalize the environment, and ease of control improve overall satisfaction;
• novelty and memory: new experiences that broaden horizons help create lasting positive impressions;
• cultural and emotional stimuli: cultural learning and emotional resonance also contribute to unforgettable experiences.

According to the researchers, these results confirm that neurohospitality is the result of multiple factors. Guests interpret and evaluate their experience not only on the basis of the tangible quality of the service, but also on complex neurocognitive factors. Emotions, sensory stimuli, but also technology and the element of surprise are essential for guest satisfaction and loyalty.

But what is the hoteliers’ point of view and how can they put the findings of studies such as this into practice?

How to integrate neurohospitality into hotels: possible scenarios

The answer comes from the report “Hospitality 2024: Neuroscience and Technology Improve the People Experience in Hotels” by VDA Telkonet, a multinational company specializing in EMS and GRMS solutions for hospitality properties. The role of technology in improving the guest experience, also from a neurohospitality perspective, is the focus of interviews conducted with a sample of 200 Italian and international hoteliers. The survey shows that most participants agree that simplified check-in and check-out, smart room access, but also efficient internet connections and home automation, influence the guest experience directly but also indirectly: when staff are not busy solving problems or managing basic tasks, they have more time to devote to caring for and paying attention to travelers.

The other aspect on which hoteliers agree is the importance of personalizing services, which must be increasingly tailored to the individual guest. Yet almost all of them rely on methods of gathering information that are not based on measurable and accurate data, such as guest feedback, surveys, and staff intuition.

What could be the parameters for determining the well-being of guests and, therefore, promoting real and in-depth knowledge of customers’ neural responses and their perception of their stay?

Monitoring sleep quality

Phenomena such as sleep tourism have taught us how important sleep is for some people. Therefore, 92% of hoteliers believe it is essential to be able to monitor the quality of their guests’ sleep in order to obtain objective information and implement appropriate measures. For example, adjusting temperature, lighting, and noise to their liking could greatly affect guests’ relaxation and, therefore, their neurocognitive response.

Detecting environmental comfort

Part of these aspects is intertwined with the second point on which the majority of respondents agree, namely the usefulness of data on guests’ environmental comfort, expressed in: “temperature, lighting, sound insulation, air quality, design and furnishings, beds and linens, services, safety, cleanliness, and maintenance.”

Determining air quality

Finally, the air quality inside the hotel can also affect guests’ interpretations and judgments, which is why it is important to monitor it through advanced heating and cooling systems and regular maintenance. Air quality affects sleep, concentration, and overall well-being, and can therefore give rise to positive or negative feelings that are reflected in reviews and the image of the hotel or B&B.

Collecting this data, thanks also to the support of technology (machine learning and AI in particular), allows you to identify any shortcomings or weaknesses and take action to correct them at a structural and/or operational level.

The aim is to use neuroscientific expertise to objectively decipher guests’ experiences and make their stay increasingly satisfying, with beneficial effects for both them and the property management.

Today, the practical applications of neurohospitality are still few and far between or in the testing phase, but understanding its implications and potential is the first step towards imagining the developments of an increasingly relevant future.